Emil Hallfredsson is not exactly a name that rolls off the tongue but for Sunderland and Southampton fans he could yet come to be known as the one that got away if his finely-taken goal for Verona against Napoli is anything to go by.

A glut of late goals may have seen the financially-superior Naples club run out 6-2 winners at Stadio San Paolo but for 70 minutes it was as closely-fought and exciting a game of football as you are likely to find.

And it was the 30-year-old midfielder who got things off to an explosive start with the opening goal just a minute into proceedings.

Hallfredsson took his goal with much aplomb, hitting a first-time volley low into the goalkeeper’s bottom right-hand corner with his left foot to send the visiting fans wild.

It marked a return to the spotlight for the Iceland international, who was on the books at Tottenham in his younger days, spending two years with the Lilywhites in the mid-2000s before forging a career in Italy.

Last summer Hallfredsson was widely expected to depart the unfashionable Serie A side with a host of Premier League clubs linked with a move for the Scandinavian.

The Saints’ current success means a mid-season move for Hallfredsson looks unlikely, but with Sunderland languishing at the wrong end of the Premier League standings a Black Cats bid could yet materialise.

Hallfredsson could well relish the challenge of playing in England, with the Icelandic star in the final few years of his career and seeking one final big move.

If this goal is anything to go by then Sunderland may not be the only side chasing a deal for the player though!

Jack Beresford

Jack is a 27-year-old writer with experience in writing about sport in a range of guises. He’s something of a statto when it comes to soccer and has a passion for English football at all levels, as well as Serie A and the Bundesliga.